Integrated Approaches to Manage Multi-case Families in CJS

Project Summary for 2003-IJ-CX-1008 This project will examine court innovations of an integrated approach to families with multiple court cases. It will examine court programs in Arizona, Oregon and Wisconsin that use slightly different interventions for these cases but they all identify families with multiple cases, assign all the cases to a single judge, and provide appropriate treatment services for given the family's problems. Court files and automated databases will be one of the sources of information for this study, but it also will use qualitative data generated through one-on-one interviews and focus groups at each site. The study will address the incidence and most common types of multiple cases, determine whether integrated approaches to multi-case families can speed case resolution, reduce trials, reduce duplication of services and reduce the incidence of conflicting orders. ca/ncf